Stalking Jack the Ripper – Kerri Maniscalco Review / rants / book discussion

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars ★★★★★

How could someone resist the purrfect title? :3 captivate me instantly by the title.

After reading it, I just love it even more ❤
Reading the first chapter, I didn’t expect to get so much explicit description of someone dissecting a corpse, and even an illustration, real one, if that’s makes it more ‘imaginable’ :’) and how our lovely MC feels (mentally and physically), as she dissect a body, putting her hands inside another human, groping their internal organs, something that’s untouchable for someone that isn’t dead (for that period of time at least, we have pro doctors now doing it daily tho). That’s pretty shocking at first, but as it goes, turns out to be just fine (I suppose(?) ww)

-Spoiler free-

Audrey Rose Wadsworth (Our lovely MC)
Audrey is a very curious MC. and her curiousness evolved around science, specially humans anatomy, dissecting them :’) obviously at that era that’s not a really good choice of ‘curiousness’ for a Lady.
But still, she won’t give up her curiousness over a ‘social life’ of fancy-strict London. Thankfully for her, her uncle, Jonathan Wadsworth is a forward minded dude (at least when it concerns of science), so he did cut her some slack, and allowed her to be his assistant, and even let her come to his class as his student, disguising as a dude ofc. Cause no women allowed studying there ww
I’m kinda confused with how she deal with her father. His wife left her for the afterlife, and everything seems to change dramatically for the worse after that for the family. At some points she seems so scared of him, but at other occasions makes her looks like she doesn’t give an f (for the scared part I mean). We can still see how she manage everything, especially things going on inside her, her feelings, emotion, pretty well.
She’s pretty sass and strict-sarcastic at most of the time she got annoyed ww
 “No man has invented a corset for our brains.” 
And I like her very much for that ❤

Thomas Cresswell
“If only my lashes were as luxuriant.”
CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT HOW DUDES USUALLY THE ONE WHO GOT THOSE BOOTIFUL EYELASHES
DEMN U THOMAS HAHA
He’s such an arrogant bastard, oh wait, I mean, arrogant ass GORGEOUS bastard. I won’t deny how gorgeous he is ww not even Audrey deny it haha
He had his genius brain fascinatingly working. Specially his deduction skill. I feel like reading a Sherlock Holmes series, and it’s Bennedict Cumberba– I mean, Sherlock’s turns to show off ww

The fact that his room is not as neat as his mind and outer appearances almost startled me. Almost ww.

“Her intellect, though nowhere near as vast as mine, may prove useful.”
Go to hell dude, but it’s actually kinda true ww

-Spoilers Warning-

But oh my goodness, his rake attitude toward everything just made it more interesting to read. And more interesting how he gradually softened toward Audrey, and when both of them got attacked, and he taught she was going to be dead, real dead, that moment when both of them finally struck each other with their true feelings is just //w\\

The love-hate-attracted relationship between Audrey Rose and Thomas. Much entertaining really. The first moment they meet each other, and instantly sparked rival-vibes, yet attracted to each other, such complex ww

Maybe most of their attraction came from the fact that they both share interest in the same subject (dissecting a body, science, etc) that’s pretty taboo and peculiar at that time. In a sense, they ‘understand’ each other.
I think it’s not an easy thing for people like them to have a successful relationship. For example is Audrey’s uncle. He had a relationship with a regular person, and how it became so ugly in the end. Not saying they shouldn’t having a relationship with normal people, just that it have it’s own hurdle, and how lucky Audrey and Thomas are :’)

Nathaniel
Oh dude, he and his magnificent comb ww I can’t even start to explain ww
“I turned my attention to Nathaniel as he pulled out his favorite silver comb and ran it through his hair. Not one golden strand could ever be out of place, else the universe might possibly explode”
Oh please, I can’t stahp laughing at that quote ww

Jonathan Wadsworth / The Mad Scientist
He’s a pretty decent dude actually. Tho he had his own ‘universe’ for science and dissecting a body. He still cared for his family, or at least his nephew, Audrey. It made me really sad looking at his condition when he got caught. Thankfully Audrey loved him too and try reaally hard to prove his innocence.

Aunt Amelia & Cousin Liza
The perfect image of London Victorian’s Lady. as how Lady should interact and put their interest. Perfect image of how oblivious they are to the reality that’s going on there. But it can’t be helped, it’s the way they lived, or maybe ‘chose’ to live.
Aunty is a bit annoying sometimes, but Liza is a decent and smart girl, she help Audrey in a various occasions available, specially the ‘tea time’

-overall-

They have some illustration of the real documentary of that era and case (Jack the Ripper) too.. Some of them is pretty explicit and scary, specially when I read it alone, late midnight :’)
The Alistair part, when he’s killed, and the old butler got killed. Those two parts seems too awkward for me, storyline wise. Too convenient maybe. Too easy to guess(?). but it’s okay I suppose.

The stalking part is kinda bizarre and rushed. Some of the romance moment felt unnaturally rushed, remembering where and in what situation they actually were. But again, it felt like one of the unique part of their relationship. None of these two mortals are normal haha

What I like is, how they unveiled every case and mystery that they had for us. Veerry slowly but steady. Wadsworth’s family is pretty amusing actually, if the father isn’t so gloomy. Welp, at least he’s not anymore nau ww

I’M HOPING VERY HARD, that the sequel would be about Audrey and Thomas again ;;w;; please don’t delete their existence from the sequel ;;w;; I’m really curious as how they’ll interact at the institute, as now Audrey won’t have to worry about her gender anymore. AND MORE OF MY UTMOST OTP , YASS PLEASE //